A Brother's Wrath
by whitetigerwolf
Summary: The day the gods leaned to fear Hephaestus wrath. One-Shot. Complete. T for violence.


**I Do Not Own Greek Mythology**

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Hephaestus was considered to be an easy going god.

Even when angered about his wife cheating on him with his own brother, he never harmed them. Even when seeking revenge against Hera for tossing him off of Olympus, he never harmed her.

Humiliate and trap, yes, but never harm.

Then his foster mother, Thetis, married and had a son, Achilles.

Then the Trojan War came and Achilles was killed.

Then Thetis came to him in tears….

…And Hephaestus' wrath was unleashed.

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The Olympian council was gathered, all but one, to discuss the end of the Trojan War. The council only awaited Hephaestus to begin.

But for the first time since becoming an Olympian, Hephaestus was late to a council meeting. The reactions of each of the gathered eleven Olympians varied.

Aphrodite and Demeter didn't really care. Aphrodite could care less and Demeter didn't even wish to be at this meeting, not having an interest in the recent war, unlike many of the other gods.

Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Artemis, and Dionysus were annoyed. All of them felt that they had something better to do, or would rather be somewhere else, and wished this meeting over quickly. Hephaestus lateness meant that they wouldn't start, and hence wouldn't end, this meeting on time.

Apollo, Ares, and Athena were curious of what could cause the smith's lateness, though for different reasons. Apollo was simply curious, but didn't really care. Ares wondered if the reason for Hephaestus lateness would somehow involve a fight. And Athena, was worried, for she had an idea about why Hephaestus would be late.

And if she was right, she didn't know what would happen.

Hermes, the last of the gathered Olympians, was genuinely worried. He considered the smith a friend. He was the only one that seemed to understand just how busy Hermes was as the god's messenger, and that was on top of his other godly duties. He often offered the fastest god a seat and something to drink whenever he showed up at the smith's shop. And it wasn't like Hephaestus, who valued hard work, and thus valued his time, to be late.

Suddenly the doors to the council room where thrown open with great force, slamming loudly against the walls, and a furious Hephaestus strode inside. The smith moved surprisingly fast, his leg encased in a metal brace.

"It about time you showed…." But Zeus was cut off as Hephaestus decked Apollo.

Before anyone else could react, or the sun-god recover, Hephaestus pulled Apollo from his throne, slamming his fellow god into his knee with great force. He then slammed Apollo's head into the seat of his golden throne.

Zeus yelled, "RESTRAIN HIM!" even as Ares, Poseidon, and Artemis moved to do just that.

Ares reached Hephaestus first, and put his arm around the smith's neck to pull him away, even as Hephaestus kicked Apollo with all his strength.

But Hephaestus would not be held, for he elbowed Ares, causing the god of war to lose his grip. The smith then spun around and punched Ares, knocking his the god out and breaking his jaw with one powerful punch. He then turned back to Apollo, lifting by the collar of his golden armor, and punching the god repeatedly until he was once more pulled off by Artemis and Poseidon, the two restraining both arms to keep him from pulling the same trick he had on Ares.

But even they had trouble pulling the enraged smith back.

Years of lifting his hammer and rods of metal, years of hard work and compensating for his injured leg, had given Hephaestus the greatest strength of any god. And it took all of Artemis' and Poseidon's strength to pull him off of Apollo, but not before the smith got several good kicks in to the battered and bleeding Apollo.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zeus demanded angrily as Artemis and Poseidon continued to restrain Hephaestus.

"This is about family!" Hephaestus yelled angrily, surprising all but Athena, who looked away with a deep breath. The shock of his statement was enough that he was able to free himself of his uncle and cousin's grasp. "This is about the fact that Apollo is responsible for my brother's death!"

"What are you talking about?" Apollo demanded. Looking up at Hephaestus from the floor with his blood covered face, he continued, "Ares lays there where you put him."

"I speak of my true brother," Hephaestus yelled. "The son of the woman who saved and raised me when that BITCH!" he pointed at Hera, "threw me off of Olympus as a newborn babe. I speak of the mighty Achilles, my foster bother, my true brother, my baby brother."

Hephaestus then looked at Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena. "And you three, if it weren't for you arrogance and vainness, none of this would have come to pass," he sneered. "I may hold Apollo directly responsible for Achilles death, as he blessed Paris' arrow. But you three are indirectly to blame. Eris' apple was meant for the fairest, did none of you consider it was not you. It was my mother's wedding day. Tell me, what bride does not wish to be called the fairest on the day of her wedding?" He looked directly at Hera, "Tell me goddess of marriage." Hera looked down, unable to meet the eyes of the son she abandoned. He then looked at Aphrodite, "Tell me goddess of beauty." Aphrodite's jaw clenched, but she said nothing. His gaze then turned to Athena, "Tell me goddess of wisdom." Athena's eyes began to water, as she too looked away from his gaze.

"Your whelp of a brother disrespected me," Apollo snarled, standing shakily to his feet. "He desecrated my temple!"

"YOU WERE THE PATRON OF HIS ENEMY!" the smith bellowed. "As long as you favored those he fought against, did you expect his devotion, or his respect?" He turned the council. "How many of our followers died, all because of war started because three women couldn't humble themselves on the day of another's wedding?" he demanded. "I took no side. The only thing I did was forge my brother armor, in an effort to protect MY family." He looked back at Apollo, and punched him once more, knocking him back to the ground. "Would you do any less than I if someone were to harm Artemis?"

Apollo finally looked away from the angry god.

Hephaestus looked around the stunned council room. "Now if you all don't mind, I must go comfort my mother," he said softly, before turning and leaving the throne room.

The remaining gods stood in silence, except for Artemis, who was helping her twin to stand. Finally, a moan drew their attention to a waking Ares. "Wagh abend?" he asked, unable to speak correctly due to his broken jaw.

Poseidon sighed. "Shut up Ares, we can't understand you," he said, as he helped his nephew up. "Hephaestus apparently broke your jaw, and our resident healer," he gestured to Apollo, who was wincing as he sat back in his throne, "is in a lot worse shape than you."

And that was the day the gods learned that Hephaestus had inherited Hera's temper, even if he no longer claimed her as his mother.

In fact it was worse.

And it was more than justified.

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**And if you can't figure it out, Ares tried to ask, "What happened?"**


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